My Brother, Myself
by IMTheresa
Summary: Everyone, even Dean Winchester, needs someone to talk to now and then.
1. Chapter 1

**My Brother, Myself**

**Chapter 1**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Winchesters, but I like to bring them into my sandbox every now and then.

**A/N**: I wasn't sure where this was going to end up when I started writing and I'm not sure how I feel about it, but the couple of people I've had read it said they like it so there you go. I've brought Aidan back; he was first introduced in _First Solo Flight_. You don't have to read that one to get this one, but you might want to just for the heck of it.

There are possible spoilers here for the season so far, but because of Aidan, it's definitely alternate universe. I've changed things around a little and you'll see that when you get to the end. It's not that I didn't like the official version; it's just that I wanted to explore it from a different angle.

Reviews are appreciated. Like I said, I'm not really sure how I feel about this and I'd be curious to see how you feel. I'll be posting it two chapters.

oooOOOooo

Dean Winchester sat leaned against the hood of his car, staring into space. Sam was inside the motel room, no doubt worried about his older brother. Dean just wanted – needed – some space. Since their father's death, Sam had been trying to get him to talk about his feelings. He wasn't a talking about his feelings kind of guy – besides; he knew Sam had to have figured it out. John was dead because of him and there was just nothing to say about that.

He could almost feel Sam's eyes on him, watching him through the motel room window. He knew Sam was worried about him – worried _for_ him – and even though he had spent nearly his entire life making things okay for Sam, he couldn't fix this one. He couldn't fix himself and he couldn't bring John back. Instead of moving closer to his brother, the one person who would miss their father as much as he did, he was pushing Sam away. He was belligerent and angry; taking it all out on Sam.

And yet, there Sam was. Maybe it was out of guilt or a feeling of obligation, but at least he was there. Dean knew that some day he would have to let him go, but not right now. Right now everything was just too hard and it was good to have his brother with him; even if he couldn't open up to him and tell him how he really felt.

The brothers weren't on their way to anywhere in particular. They'd just finished a job and were looking for something else to take on. Sam had suggested going back to the Roadhouse to see what was going on with Ash and his demon-watching, but Dean was resisting. He had nothing against Ash; he even kind of liked Ellen and Jo, but it almost hurt to be with them. There were things Ellen knew about John that she would be willing to talk about, but Dean didn't want to hear a stranger talk about his father. And under normal circumstances, he would have been all over Jo, but even that didn't feel right. He felt like everything was spiraling out of control and he wanted – he needed – something to hunt. He needed to vent his anger on somehow and there had to be something evil to fight.

Sam backed away from the window when he saw Dean look toward the room. He didn't know what to do; for himself or for Dean. He'd admitted to his brother that he wasn't okay, but he got nothing from Dean. Sam knew it wasn't like him to talk, but he would almost always listen. Not these days though; not if the subject was their father. That was one reason he wanted to spend some time at the Roadhouse. Unlike Dean, he wanted to hear what Ellen knew about John. They still had no idea how close the two were or how'd they even came to know each other. The bottom line was that Sam needed to talk about his father; he needed to hear about his father. He thought it would do Dean some good as well.

Lost in thought, Sam nearly jumped when his cell phone rang a few minutes later. Dean was still outside and showing no sign of coming in any time soon.

"Hello?" Sam answered the phone, even though he didn't recognize the number on the caller ID display.

"Sammy? Is that you, kid?"

He recognized the voice and sank down to the bed, tightly gripping the phone. "Oh my God." It took him a moment to recover. "Aidan?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"We thought – I mean, we figured since the demon got to Jim and Caleb – and we couldn't get in touch with you --" Sam's voice cracked.

"I know; I'm sorry Sam. Are you with Dean?"

"Yeah. We're in Wisconsin. Where are you?"

"North Dakota. You boys all right?"

"Aidan –"

"I know about John." Aidan said, knowing what Sam was about to say. "I'm so sorry, Sam."

Sam took a deep breath. "Yeah."

"How are you handling it?"

"It's tough, man."

"What about Dean?"

"He's not good."

"If you guys aren't working on anything, why don't you head my way?"

oooOOOooo

Aidan Prichard was practically a part of the Winchester family. John had been a new hunter, working under the tutelage of both Jim and Daniel Elkins when he went to the Prichard house to investigate something that fit a pattern they'd been following for a while. The news story said that the house was completely undamaged on the outside, but it looked like a tornado had erupted inside and the family was missing.

It was years later that the entire truth was discovered. Before Aidan's father even met the woman who would become his wife, he made a deal with a demon. He would become a successful businessman and give up his firstborn when the child turned one year old. It didn't mean anything to him when he made the deal, but it did once he actually had a firstborn to give up. Somehow he managed to negotiate an extension when the demon came for Aidan on his first birthday; being given until Aidan turned fifteen.

Over the years, Aidan's father worked out a plan to trap the demon the next time it came for his son. When the demon discovered the plan, it sent others to kill the parents and take the boy. Aidan endured three days of torture he wouldn't remember until he was much older and was released when the spirit of his father traded himself for his son. The demon had been able to kill him, but couldn't have him unless he agreed willingly to honor his deal.

The Winchesters spent a lot of time near Jim when the boys were young and they grew to care about Aidan very much. Eight years older than Dean, Aidan shifted between older brother and trusted uncle.

When the demon that killed Mary sent the woman the brothers knew as Meg to kill Jim and another important friend, Caleb, the Winchesters assumed it had gotten Aidan as well.

oooOOOooo

Sam was still sitting on the edge of the bed when Dean came back into the room later. He was prepared to walk to the bathroom without conversation, to put it off as long as possible, but he stopped when he saw the expression on his younger brother's face.

"Sam?" he noticed the cell phone, held so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

The younger man looked up at him, startled from his thoughts. "Aidan's alive." he whispered.

Dean stumbled backwards, reaching for anything to steady himself. He fell against the desk.

"He just called, man. He's in North Dakota."

"He's okay?" Dean's voice was small.

Sam nodded. "He wants us to come."

"We can be on the road in ten minutes. You want to go tonight?"

Sam wanted to go; he wanted to be there five seconds after he heard Aidan's voice. But it was late and they'd had a very long day. He didn't trust himself to drive and he didn't think Dean was much up to it either.

"Yeah, but maybe first thing in the morning is a better idea."

Dean nodded. He rubbed his face with his hands.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"It's Aidan, man." Dean said, tears springing to his eyes. "Aidan."

Sam nodded. 'Yeah, I know."

"Where has he been? He know about Dad?"

Sam nodded again. "He knew. I don't know where he's been; we'll find out everything when we see him."

Later, once they were both in bed, Sam flipped off the lamp. He heard Dean shift in the darkness a few minutes later. "Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean asked, almost wishing he'd pretended to be asleep.

There was so much Sam wanted – needed – to say to his brother, but he didn't know how to start. Weeks before, soon after they'd burned John's body, Sam found Dean working under the Impala. He told him that he wasn't handling things very well, but his admission was met with silence and a steely glare. He knew Dean wasn't mad at him, just mad in general. Sam walked away, a moment later hearing the smash of glass as Dean took his frustrations out on the only thing he could; his Impala.

"Nothing. Goodnight."

"Sammy –" Dean paused. "'night."

oooOOOooo

The next morning the brothers pretended everything was fine between them as they went about the business of leaving. They opted for a fast food breakfast so they could get on the road sooner and made the drive with little conversation.

Dean drove faster than he needed to, faster than he should have. In part, it was to get to their destination quicker because Aidan was family and they had lost everyone else. Dean found himself thinking about his father and he glanced over at Sam. His head was resting against the window and his eyes were closed, but Dean didn't think he was really asleep. He knew Sam was hurting. Despite their differences, John was his father too, and Dean knew that Sam loved the man. Dean had taken care of Sam for almost as long as he could remember, but he didn't have anything left to give him right now. His guilt over John's death was too strong and he was afraid as soon as Sam figured out the truth, he would hate Dean and would leave; forever this time.

Sam shifted and opened his eyes a few minutes later. He'd felt a change in the car and when he looked at his brother he somehow knew his thoughts were on John.

"Where are we?" he sat up.

"Middle of nowhere." Dean said. "But we're making good time."

"That's because you're driving like a bat out of hell." Sam grinned.

"She can handle it." Dean said, patting the dashboard affectionately. He'd spent weeks fixing the car after the accident and his miraculous recovery. Many a night now, he could be found in the parking lot of whatever motel they were staying in cleaning and polishing it. In a way, it was comforting for Sam to see his brother taking such good care of the car; it was familiar. But a part of him resented it because Dean wouldn't let him help and Sam thought he was using the car as a way to avoid him.

Sam looked at his watch. "You want to stop for food soon?"

"Sure." Dean said. "You think it would be okay to call Aidan?"

"He didn't say not to."

"Man, I wonder what he's been up to? And did Meg even know to go after him?"

"I don't know." Sam said thoughtfully. "We never did anything for Jim and Caleb."

Dean's jaw clenched. "Bobby took care of them."

"Yeah." Sam said quietly. "They were family, too, Dean."

The older brother only nodded. Sam was tired of pushing him and afraid that if he kept it up, he'd only succeed in pushing Dean even further away. That was a risk he wasn't willing to take and he knew Dean would be gone soon enough anyway.

Sam was anxious to get to Aidan and couldn't help but hope that maybe their friend would be able to help; and not just Dean. Sam didn't know how he was going to get past his own guilt over John's death. He regretted every fight and every harsh word. He even regretted going to college because maybe if he'd stayed with his family, they would have somehow found the demon sooner and John would still be alive. He also couldn't help but wonder how much longer Dean was going to put up with him. Sooner or later the brother he idolized, even now, would realize everything their family had gone through was his fault.

Dean stopped at a diner in the next town and they ate in near silence; each one lost in his own thoughts and afraid to bring up any topic for fear it would somehow turn into another fight. They'd been doing that a lot lately and it was wearing thin on both of them. Dean decided not to call Aidan and just get back on the road when they finished eating. He was very much on edge and hoped that reaching their destination would calm him. He felt like lashing out at Sam, even though he hadn't said or done anything to warrant an attack. The rest of the trip was even more tense than when it started out.

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

**My Brother, Myself**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Winchesters, but I like to bring them into my sandbox every now and then.

**A/N**: Sorry for the length of this section. We're already we're at the end… That didn't take long, now did it!?

oooOOOooo

Aidan was staying in a small house on the edge of Almont, North Dakota. Sam was out of the car as soon as it stopped moving, but Dean hesitated after taking the keys out of the ignition. He didn't feel excited to be here like he thought he would. The day before, when Sam told him that Aidan had called, he was ready to do anything to get to their friend but now that he was on the doorstep, he was wary.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked as Dean got out of the car, but still didn't move toward the house.

Dean shook his head. "Nothing. Come on."

Sam blocked his way.

"Sam –" Dean said, the one word coming out angrier than he intended.

The younger brother was getting used to Dean's anger and let the moment pass. "What's wrong?" he prompted again, his tone gentle.

The truth was, Dean didn't know. He couldn't wait to get here, but now that he was standing in front of Aidan's home, he was afraid to go in. He wasn't afraid of Aidan; he wasn't even afraid that this was somehow a trap. He couldn't explain his feeling, but he knew he didn't want to talk about it. There were some things he couldn't do, even for Sam.

"It's just – " Dean searched for something that would appease Sam. "We thought he was dead."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, but he's not. Come on. It's okay."

Still hesitant, Dean walked to the front door with Sam and it opened as soon as they hit the porch.

"Hey, guys." Aidan smiled at them.

"Aidan – " Sam began before rushing forward to hug him. It felt familiar and it felt comfortable. "Damn, it's good to see you."

A moment later, Aidan pulled away and looked at Dean. The older Winchester still felt on edge and was not in the least bit comfortable. He didn't understand it.

"Hey, man." Dean forced himself to say.

Sam watched his brother curiously; he didn't understand why Dean didn't seem happier to see their friend. Aidan was around for a lot of important things in their lives; he even lived with them for periods of time when John was off on long hunts.

Aidan sensed something in Dean, but pulled him forward into a hug. Dean didn't resist and, though he was uncomfortable at first, he returned it willingly.

Dean caught Sam's gaze as they followed Aidan into the house. He saw the curiosity and concern in his brother's eyes and looked away. The inside of the house wasn't any more impressive than the outside. It had two bedrooms and both held a simple bed and one dresser. The living room held only a worn couch and an old recliner, although the entertainment system was quite impressive.

"I can see where your priorities are, man." Sam smiled, admiring the set-up.

"Yeah, well." Aidan smiled. "So, are you guys hungry? Want something to drink?"

"How about a beer?" Dean asked, desperately needing something to calm his nerves.

"Sure." Aidan looked at the younger brother. "Sam?"

"Just a soda, thanks."

Aidan glanced at Dean as he walked toward the kitchen. He took longer than necessary, sensing the brothers needed a moment to talk.

"What's going on, Dean?" Sam asked, hoping his tone was as neutral as he wanted it to be.

Dean wanted to lie, to tell him nothing was wrong, but he was too disturbed and confused by his reaction to try to fool his brother.

"I don't know." he squeezed the bridge of his nose and walked away from Sam.

"Dean," Sam paused. "Come on, this is Aidan. _Aidan_. Aren't you happy he's alive?"

Dean whirled to face his brother. "Something just doesn't feel right."

Sam stood next to his brother. "Dean, look, I don't know what's going on with you but –"

Dean looked at him. He was getting tired of seeing pain and concern in his brother's eyes. For so long after Jessica died, all Dean saw in Sam was pain and he hated that there was nothing he could do to make it better for him. Now Sam was mourning their father and Dean couldn't bring himself to open up; to share his own pain. It was bad enough seeing the hurt in Sam, but the concern in his eyes was almost too much to bear.

"Sam, please. Not now."

Sam sighed and sat down on the couch.

"Here we go." Aidan said when he walked back into the room. He felt the tension, but chose to ignore it. Dean took the beer that was offered and sat on the couch. Aidan handed the soda to Sam and settled in the recliner with a beer of his own.

"Where have you been?" Sam asked after a moment. "We tried to get in touch with you, but –"

Aidan nodded. "I know. I'm sorry, but I couldn't risk it."

"Did Meg come after you?"

"The blonde chick? No. But someone else did."

"Sent by the demon?"

"Yeah. At least I think so. I was able to get away and I've been in hiding since then. And with the demon back in hibernation, or whatever the hell it does, I figured it was safe to get in touch with you." he looked from one to the other. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help with – with your dad. You know how I felt about him."

Dean's jaw clenched.

"It's okay." Sam said quietly. "Do you know what happened?"

"I've been talking to Bobby. I know about the car accident and that John died a few days later in the hospital. And I know you took his body so you could burn it. That's what he would have wanted you to do."

"Yeah, and we're such good sons." Dean smirked.

Sam glanced at him, but turned his attention back to Aidan. "So – are you safe now? From the demon, I mean?"

"For now, but I don't think forever. It has a score to settle."

"What do you know? There's a lot Dad didn't tell us –"

"Yeah, I know. I hear you've been in touch with Ellen."

"Do you know her?"

Aidan shook his head. "Not really. I met her once."

"How were she and Dad connected?"

Aidan looked at Dean. He not only looked uncomfortable, he looked like he was about to bolt.

"I don't really know. John didn't talk about her much."

"When did you meet her?"

"A few years ago; three or four, maybe. I was in the area and knew of her place, so I stopped in. She'd heard of me, too, through John."

Dean stood up suddenly and walked to the window across the room. He pretended to stare out of it, but he wasn't really seeing anything. He was anxious, the way he often felt before a hunt, but he couldn't explain why. Aidan was family. He was probably the only other person in the world, besides himself and Sam, who felt John's loss so strongly. But as uncomfortable as Dean felt with Sam these days, he felt it even more so with Aidan.

Sam looked at Aidan and shrugged sadly. The older man motioned for him to go into the kitchen and after only a moment of hesitation, Sam did. Dean heard the movement behind him, but he didn't turn around.

"Dean." Aidan began, still sitting in the recliner. "What's going on with you?"

His tone wasn't angry or even accusatory, but it put Dean more on edge than he already was. He shook his head. "I can't talk about this. Not now."

"I know you miss John; you've got to be hurting –"

"I said I can't talk about this!" Dean exclaimed. He turned from the window only long enough to glance at Sam, who had come back into the room from the kitchen. He rushed to the front door and headed to the Impala.

"Dean!" Sam trailed after him.

His brother was in the car before Sam even reached the edge of the porch. He watched, shocked, as Dean drove away.

"He'll be back, Sammy." Aidan said gently, a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Come back inside."

Sam waited until the car was no longer in sight before he joined Aidan in the living room.

"He's been like this since Dad died." Sam said quietly. "He's angry all the time and he's reckless- the worst part is, he won't talk to me."

Aidan smiled sadly. "You wouldn't expect anything else, would you?"

Sam looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Sam. When have you ever known Dean to talk about his feelings?"

"Not often." Sam admitted. "But we've never been through anything like this before."

"Give him time, Sam. You know how he felt about your dad."

"I loved him, too." Sam said quietly.

Aidan moved to Sam's side on the couch. "I know."

"Dean and I – this should be brining us together, but it's pushing us apart. And I don't understand why he's acting like this with you. You're family."

"Thanks." Aidan patted Sam's leg. "Just – just give your brother some time. Emotions are hard for him to handle under the best of circumstances. And even though you guys have been pretty much on your own for a year, Dean knew that John was out there somewhere. He doesn't have that anymore and he probably feels like he has to protect you and he's got no one to fall back on."

"I'm not a kid anymore." Sam said, looking at Aidan. He leaned forward and clasped his hands between his knees. "Dean can fall back on me."

"Sam, he's spent his whole life being your big brother. Don't expect him to change overnight."

The youngest Winchester sat quietly for a few minutes. "I miss him. Dad, I mean. We had another fight before – before he died."

Aidan smiled. "You were always fighting, Sam."

"He probably thinks I hated him."

"He didn't think that."

Sam looked at him. "How do you know?" he asked quietly.

"I know." Aidan put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "I know."

oooOOOooo

Dean parked the car on the side of the road just out of town. He got out and started walking, going nowhere in particular. He was angry, angrier than he'd ever been and he didn't know how to make it stop. All the love, respect and admiration he felt for his father had turned into rage against the man and he felt as much guilt as he did anger.

He looked around and found he was completely alone. The nearest buildings were at least a mile away. He thought back to when he was working on the car in Bobby's yard and Sam came out to talk to him. Sam told him he wasn't okay and all Dean felt was cold. His brother was standing in front of him, basically begging him to let him talk and Dean couldn't do it. His glare sent Sam away and Dean took everything out on his car. He did so much damage, he nearly had to start the repairs from scratch the next day.

Dean walked back to the car and leaned against the hood.

"I can't do this anymore." he whispered. "I told you I'd watch out for Sammy, Dad, but I just can't. I can't do my job. I can't do what you need me to do. Damnit, Dad, why did you leave me to handle this alone? I don't know what to do."

oooOOOooo

"He should be back by now." Sam said almost two hours later. "He's not answering his phone –"

Aidan watched as Sam fidgeted near the window. He knew John's death would be hard on his sons, but he never expected it to be like this. Dean was always stoic; he tried so hard to act like nothing phased him, but the one thing he would always cling to was his brother. It was never physical, but Dean would do whatever he could for Sam as long as he didn't have to open himself up. Sam tried to be like Dean. Sam tried to shut himself off, but it wasn't in his nature. He needed people; he needed to be able to share his feelings. Often enough, Dean allowed Sam to talk to him, but he couldn't even do that right now.

"I want to go out and look for him." Sam said, turning from the window.

"Why don't you let me go?" Aidan suggested. "One of us should stay here in case he comes back anyway."

"He's my brother." Sam smiled sadly.

"Yeah, and John used to leave me in charge of you two." Aidan said. "What's either got to do with who goes to look for him?"

Sam sighed.

"Look, Sam, I know you want to be the one Dean turns to, but he may not be ready for that yet. Sometimes it's too hard to confide in the people we're closest to."

Sam turned back to the window when he heard the growl of the Impala's engine. "Thank God." he muttered.

oooOOOooo

Aidan took the brothers to a bar in the middle of town where they had a tension-filled dinner with little conversation.

"You guys can have the bedrooms. I'll sleep on the couch." Aidan said once they were back at the house.

"You don't have to give up your bed, man." Sam said.

"Don't worry about it." Aidan said. He caught Dean looking at him, not quite sure what his expression said.

"Thanks. I think I'll turn in then. Dean?"

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna stay up for a few more minutes. "'night."

Sam looked at his brother, but decided to let whatever was going to happen, happen. He hoped Dean would talk to Aidan, but he wasn't at all sure that's what Dean had in mind. There was an ocean of anger flowing from him and it was really starting to scare the younger brother.

Once Sam was gone, Dean sat on the couch, opposite Aidan.

"Sam's worried."

"I know." Dean said, staring forward.

"What's going on, kid?"

Dean couldn't help but smile. "You haven't called me that in a long time."

"I haven't felt older in a long time. So why are you so pissed off?"

"I'm pissed off because my father is dead."

"Yeah, that's reason enough, but is that all that's to it?"

"Just about everyone is gone. The demon took away the people closest to us and now I'm supposed to trust these people at the Roadhouse? It's always been my job to take care of Sammy, but what's coming is too big for me to handle alone. I don't have anyone in my corner except for people Dad never told us about."

Aidan looked away.

"Dad send you?"

Aidan smiled thinly. "And we always thought Sam was too smart for his own good."

"So I'm right? You're dead?"

"Yeah. Sorry, kid."

"Was it Meg?"

"No. The other one; the guy."

Dean nodded as tears sprang into his eyes. "Fuck."

"Tell me about it. It was quick though, I didn't suffer."

"This isn't making me any less pissed off." Dean said as his voice cracked. He shook his head and looked away.

"You were right about something else. Your dad sent me."

"Why?"

"To tell you that you do have someone you can trust."

Dean looked at him.

"You can trust Sam. Let him open up to you; open up to him."

"If you – or Dad – think I'm going to cry in his arms, you're both crazy."

"Jesus Christ, Dean! Does it have to be one extreme or the other with you?" Aidan ran his fingers through his hair. "Just talk to him."

"And say what? That Dad is dead because of me? Hell, as soon as he figures that out, Sammy is gonna be gone so fast –"

"What do you mean that John is dead because of you?"

"I don't know how it happened, but the Colt is gone and so is Dad. Right after I have a miraculous recovery? That's no coincidence."

Aidan sighed. "That doesn't mean Sam is going to leave."

"Yeah." Dean scoffed. "It's my fault that his father is dead. Dead before they could mend their relationship. Dead before –"

Aidan watched as Dean stood and walked to the window. It was too dark to see anything outside, but he stared anyway.

"Sam isn't going to hold you responsible. Hell, you're _not_ responsible."

"Dean."

The older Winchester hung his head as he heard Sam's voice behind him. Sam glanced at Aidan as he walked back into the living room. Aidan smiled encouragingly and nodded toward Dean.

"You gonna stick around for a little longer?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'll be here for a while." he said. "But I'm going to let you two talk."

"You weren't supposed to overhear any of that." Dean said after Aidan left the room.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Dean said nothing as Sam stood with him at the window.

"I don't blame you for anything. None of this is your fault."

"I should be dead, Sam. Not Dad." Dean whispered.

"Don't say that." Sam said quickly.

"It's true."

"I didn't know that's what you've been thinking." Sam didn't realize he moved closer to his brother.

Dean looked at him.

"For whatever reason, it happened the way Dad wanted it to. I don't know everything about what happened, but I do know that. I miss Dad and I'm still not all right, but I'm glad you're here."

Dean didn't trust himself to speak, but he didn't move away when Sam put a hand on his shoulder.

Aidan walked back into the room a moment later. Dean cleared his throat and glanced around the room.

"So if you were able to come back," Sam began. "does that mean Dad can?"

"Not right now, but he's working on it." Aidan grinned. "You know your dad. Ever since the got out of the military, the only rules he followed were his own."

"Can you tell us what happened?" Sam asked.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened." he looked at Dean. "You okay, kid?"

"Not really."

"But?"

Dean looked at his brother. "I will be."

Sam held his gaze for a moment before looking back to Aidan.

"You have to go?"

"Yeah."

Sam approached him and hugged him tightly. "I don't understand how this is possible."

"Beats the hell out of me, but your dad always said that anything is possible."

Sam pulled away.

"Dean--" Aidan smiled at him.

Dean rushed forward to hug Aidan. "I'm sorry the demon got to you, man. We're going to kill that son of a bitch."

"I know you are." Aidan said as he pulled away. "Okay. No one lives here so it's yours for the night. You might want to head out of town in the morning, though, just in case."

He paused at the front door. "I know everything isn't solved, but you're well on the road. He looked at Sam. "Just trust each other."

Aidan turned to go, but stopped when Sam called his name.

"Tell Dad – tell Dad that I don't hate him."

Aidan smiled. "I told you, Sam, he doesn't think you hate him. But I'll pass it along."

The brothers stood close together as Aidan walked out the door. After a moment, Dean clasped Sam's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get some sleep."

Sam nodded and together they walked to the back of the house.

Aidan was right. Things were better, but they still weren't good. Dean talked to Sam about how he felt, but there was more to be said. And Sam knew he had his own feelings of guilt to bring up. He lay in bed later and even though, for the first time in a long time Dean was sleeping in another room, Sam felt closer to him than he had in a while. He also felt more hopeful that things might actually be okay some day.

_Fin_


End file.
